The deals with the private sector done, Ukraine is now scrambling to renegotiate its sovereign debt with other governments, most notably Russia. Additionally, Kiev’s Finance Ministry are working to provide currency swap lines to boost the country’s emergency cash reserves for the coming months (neatly coinciding with the return of gas debt talks with Russian…
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko categorically rejected the possibility of a federalized Ukraine when asked about the possibility. Poroshenko intimated that the plan was merely an attempt to “destroy” Ukraine and capitulate to the perceived Russian goal of breaking parts of the country apart. Nevertheless, despite his rejection of a federalized Ukraine, Poroshenko expressed support for…
Just as quickly as they began, the Ukrainian debt restructuring talks appear to be over. On Saturday, Kiev agreed to a debt restricting plan with debtholders like Franklin Templeton, PIMCO, and Blackrock as part of the $40 billion IMF bailout agreed to last month. Ukraine has agreed to a debt-swap in exchange for liquidation from…
A deal setting out the framework of a historic accord between Iran and the P5+1 has been agreed upon in Switzerland. While the final agreement has not been signed and negotiations are expected to go on until the end of June with that end in mind, the initial reaction was optimistic. The presidents of Iran…
The long-awaited deadline for the prospective nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 Powers has come and gone, but negotiations have continued. The US State Department reported that “enough progress” had been made to merit working through this deadline, but despite the optimism, there is no sign that the most contentious issues have been resolved.…
Russian energy giant Gazprom saw its profits drop by 70% in 2014. The drop is doubtless due to the sharp drop in the value of the Russian ruble, low oil prices and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Gazprom has been at the center of the conflict in the Ukraine, as its supply of natural gas…
Over the weekend, China unveiled its newest foreign policy initiative: the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) a multilateral development bank headed by Beijing to provide financing for Asian projects. The AIIB is a clear rival to Western-headed development banks such as the IMF, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, which are all popularly…
Whether or not a deal will be made concerning Iran’s nuclear program is again uncertain, as last-minute issues have emerged over the last few days. With the deadline of tomorrow looming, the two sides have seemingly failed to agree on how Iran’s existing nuclear stockpile will be reprocessed, if at all. Reports have varied –…
An EU Diplomat in Ashgabat, Denis Daniilidis has continued an initiative handed down from Brussels to push to restart talks on the Trans-Caspian pipeline, which would transport natural gas from fields in Turkmenistan across to Azerbaijan and then Turkey. The project has been stalling for years due to political, ecological, and financial uncertainties. The volume…
In statements made earlier this week Kyrgyz politican Nurlan Moteuv revealed that he would leave Kyrgyzstan to fight for ISIL in Syria if he were able. The only thing preventing him from moving, Moteuv stated, was the Kyrgyz government, which he believes would stop him if he left the cotunry. Moteuv called for Kyrgyzstan to…
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